Straw-stacker.



G. W. HALANE.

' STRAW STAGKER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1910,

975,41 5. Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

lnvenior Attorneys ZW z izim GEORGE W. I-IALANE, OF COVELL, ILLINOIS.

STRAW-STACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

Application filed April 27, 1910. Serial No. 557,941.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. HALANE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Covell, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Straw-Stacker, of which the following is aspecification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application, is a simplescreen, adapted to be raised and lowered in front of the dischargeelement of a threshing machine, to limit the movement of the straw fromsaid discharge element, so that the straw will stack properly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed, which may be readily raised and lowered, as the dischargeelement of the threshing machine is raised and lowered to accommodatethe increasing height of the stack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed, including a flexible screen which may be raised and lowered,and drawn taut between the supports upon which it is mounted.

The drawings show typical embodiments merely, and it is to be understoodthat changes, properly falling within the scope of what is claimed, maybe made, without departing from the spirit of the invention, orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 shows the device in perspective;Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the end supports,and of the stretching device which is mounted thereon; Fig. 3 is abottom plan of the stretching device; Fig. 1 is a side elevation of oneof the intermediate supports; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of amodified form of support, the view showing a modified means for raisingand lowering the stretching device; parts being broken away.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided, as a primary andfundamental part thereof, a plurality of supports, preferably posts. Theend supports are denoted by the numeral 1, and disposed between thesupports 1, preferably in semi-circular relation, are other,intermediate supports 2. In the ordinary construction of the device, thesupports 1 and 2 will be simply driven into the ground, near the pointwhere the straw stack is to be formed. Disposed longitudinally of theintermediate supports 2, are guides 3, and upon the upper ends of theintermediatesupports, are anti-friction devices of some sort, preferablypulleys 4:. Pulleys 5 are mounted upon the end supports 1. These pulleys5 which are upon the end supports, are so positioned thereon that thetreads of the pulleys 5 will be alined with the interior of the supports1, it being understood that the supports 1 may, if desired, be oftubular form. r

The supports are upheld by guys 6, of which there may be any number, theguys being connected at their upper ends with the supports, and at theirlower ends secured by means of pegs 7, driven into the ground, or in anyother desired manner.

Upon the supports, adjacent their upper ends, .are eyes 8. Through theseeyes 8, a horizontally disposed rope or cable is passed, in order tostrengthen and to stay the structure. This rope or cable, in thedrawings, is denoted by the numeral9.

Slidably and rotatably mounted upon the end supports 1, are stretchingdrums 10; spokes 11, outstand from the periphery of a wheel 12, whichconstitutes the bottom of the stretching drum 10. Slidably mounted uponthe end supports 1, are ratchets lt with which the stretching drums arerotatably connected. Springs 15 are located upon the bottoms of thestretching drums 10, and these springs 15 bear against pawls 16, toactuate the same to engage the ratchets 14. Upon the ratchets 1 1, thereare inwardly extended lugs 17, adapted to extend through upright slots18 in the end supports 1, to slide in thesaid slots. A hoisting rope 19is connected at one end with the lug 17, the other end of the hoistingrope 19 being secured about a peg 2O driven into the ground, or in anyother suitable manner, the intermediate portions of the hoisting rope 19being carried by the pulleys 5. Other hoisting ropes 21 are passed overthe pulleys 4: upon the intermediate supports 2, these hoisting Y ropes21 being secured at one end, in eyes 22, located along the upper edge ofa flexible shield 26, the intermediate portion of which is engaged bythe guides 3 of the intermediate supports, the ends of the shield beingsecured to the stretching drums 10.

Sometimes, the end supports 2 are modified to the extent shown in Fig.5. In such instance, these modified supports, denoted by the numeral 23,may be made solid. The stretching drums are rotatable upon the supports,which are slotted, as denoted by the the ratchets 14:. Pulleys 2 1 aremounted upon the upper ends of these modified supports 23, and the hoistrope 19 is carried over the pulleys 24 and secured to a collar 25,rotatably held upon the stretching drum 10. In this construction, thehoisting rope 24 is carried downwardly upon the exterior of the support23, instead of being located in the interior thereof, as seen mostclearly in Fig. 5.-

If desired, the shield 26 may be fashioned in any number of sections,the sections being laced together, or otherwise secured in a singlelength, as denoted by the numeral 28.

In practical operation, by hauling upon the hoisting ropes 19 and 21,the shield 26, and the stretching drums 10 may be raised and lowered asdesired, thus permitting the shield 26 to be disposed in front of themouth of the discharge element of the threshing machine, the shield,being thus adapted to receive the outcoming straw as the dischargeelement of the threshing machine is raised to accommodate the increasingheight of the straw stack. Obviously, by engaging the spokes 11, thestretching drums 10 may be operated, drawing the shield 26 tightlybetween the supports in which it is mounted. The pawl and ratchetmechanism seen most clearly in Fig. 3 will serve to maintain the shield26 taut, the projections 17 upon the ratchets 141 serving at once as ameans for preventing the ratchets from rotating upon the supports 1,and, at the same time, serving as points of attachment for the hoistingropes 19. 1

When a compact and particularly present able device is desired, thehollow, tubular supports 1 may be employed, and when an inexpensivestructure is called for, the form of the invention delineated in Fig. 5may be resorted to with advantage.

It will be seen that this device, although simple in construction, andof few parts, is

well adapted to receive the tailings, and to stack the same up neatly.The shield 26 need be but relatively narrow, owing to the fact that thesame may be hoisted and lowered as desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A device ofthe class described comprising spaced supports; a stretching devicerotatable and slidable upon one of the supports; a flexible screensecured atone end to the stretching device and at the other end slidableupon the other support; means for sliding the stretching device and thescreen upon the supports; and means for holding the stretching deviceagainst rotation.

2. A device of the class described comprising spaced supports; astretching device r0- tatable and slidable upon one of the supports; aflexible screen secured at one end to the stretching device and at theother end slidable upon the other support; a flexible member extendeddownwardly within the first named support and connected with thestretching device; and anti-friction means upon said support to receivethe intermediate portion of the flexible member.

A device of the class described comprising a tubular support providedwith a longitudinal slot; a stretching device rotatable and slidableupon the support; a flexible screen secured at one end to the stretchingdevice; means for securing the other end of the flexible screen; aratchet slidable upon the support and rotatably connected with thestretching device, the ratchet having a projection extending into theslot of the support; a pawl upon the stretching device adapted to engagethe ratchet; and a flexible member located within the support andconnected with the projection upon the ratchet.

4. A device of the class described comprising a tubular support; astretching device rotatable and slidable upon the support; a ratchetslidable upon the support and lo tatably connected with the stretchingdevice,

the ratchet being adapted to interlock with the support againstrotation; a pawl located upon the stretching device and adapted toengage the ratchet; and means for sliding the stretching device upon thesupport.

5. A device of the class described comprising end supports;intermediatesupports located between the end supports stretching devicesslidably and rotatably mounted upon the end supports; a flexible screenterminally secured to the stretching devices, and having itsintermediate portion engaged by the intermediate supports; means forraising and lowering the stretching devices and the screen; and meansfor locking the stretching devices against rotation.

6. A device of the class described comprising fixed supports; a flexiblescreen extended between the supports; means for raising and lowerin thescreen; and means directly mounte and slidable upon the supports fordrawing the screen taut between the supports.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. HALANE.

. Witnesses:

J. C. TAYLOR, T. D. CANTRELL.

